Bin with cam surfaces engageable by partition walls in inverted container



8- 1963 J. P. PIETRZAK 3,398,552

BIN WITH CAM SURFACES ENGAGEABLE BY PARTITION WALLS IN INVERTEDCONTAINER Filed Jan. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll/Il/I/A'l/I BY J5: pzzkfrza 5M 4. M

ATTORNEY Aug. 27, 1968 J, PlETRZAK 3,398,552-

BIN WITH CAM SURFACES ENGAGEABLE BY PARTITION WALLS IN INVERTEDCONTAINER Filed Jan. 16, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTO Fl ATTORNEYUnited States Patent BIN WITH CAM SURFACES ENGAGEABLE BY PARTITION WALLSIN INVERTED CONTAINER Joe P. Pietrzak, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to GeneralMotors Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan.16, 1967, Ser. No. 609,434 6 Claims. (Cl. 62320) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The inverted congealing container has tiltable partitionwalls with projecting ends extending into alignment with its rim. Areceiving bin is located beneath and has pivotal interconnection withthe inverted container. When the container is pressed down, theprojecting ends of the partition walls are guided sequentially intocamming engagement with the individual cam surfaces formed by thenotches in the side walls of the bin to eject cubes from the containerinto the bin.

This invention pertains to receiving bins arranged to receive congealedliquid ejected from an inverted congealing container ,or mold providedwith an ejecting grid. Expensive refrigerator models have been providedwith arrangements for ejecting congealed liquid from inverted congealedliquid containers directly into a receiving bin. Several examples areshown in Patents 2,809,449 and 2,809,550 issued Oct. 15, 1957, andPatent 2,955,440 issued Oct. 11, 1960. Although these arrangements areof moderate cost, price competition has kept them from being madestandard in low priced refrigerators.

It is an object of this invention to simplify and reduce the cost ofparts of a congealing container and ejector grid and a cooperatingreceiving bin and to provide simple cams upon the bin which are engagedby the tiltable walls of the grid when the container is moved ininverted position downwardly upon the bin.

This and other objects are attained in the form shown in the drawings byproviding an interengaging pivotal connection between one end of theinverted container or grid and the bin which upon downward movementguides the tiltable walls of the grid into direct camming engagementwith the cams upon the bin to eject the congealed liquid into the bin.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a receivingbin and an inverted congealing container provided with tiltabletransverse walls embodying one form of my invention shown in the initialejecting stage;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURE1 shown at the completion of the ejection;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along the lines33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the transversewalls in the inclined position shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of the transversewalls shown in the vertical position similar to that illustrated inFIGURE 2.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES l and 3, there is illustratedan inverted congealing and freezing "Ice container 20 provided with astilt flanged rim 22 having a centrally located set of slots 24 and 26in its opposite ends adjacent the rim. Within the container 20 is agrid, generally indicated by the reference character 28, which is formedof a longitudinal Wall 30 and transverse walls 32, each provided with acentrally located vertical slot 34 by which the transverse walls 32 arethreaded onto the longitudinal wall 30. Adjacent the container 20 thelongitudinal wall is provided with a series of spaced notches 36 whichform a pivot for the adjacent end portion 38 of each of the transversewalls 32. Each of the transverse walls 32 is formed with a bent oncurled edge 40 adjacent the container 20 which cooperates with thesurface of the container to move the longitudinal partition wall 30 awayfrom the adjacent surface of the container 20. The longitudinal wall 30is provided with a projection 42 extending through the slot 26 which hasbetween it and the portion of the rim 22 a transverse leaf spring 44which resiliently holds the adjacent end of the longitudinal wall 30 inthe container 20. The opposite end of the longitudinal wall 30 isprovided with a similar projection 46 and a similar transverse leafspring 48.

The longitudinal wall 30 is provided with a projection 50 extendingbeyond the adjacent portion of the rim 22 and the notch 24 which isprovided with an outwardly or laterally extending notch 52 which isadapted to receive a fixed pivot pin 54 extending transversely across acentral notch 56 in the adjacent end wall 58 of the receiving bin 60.The receiving bin 60 has an opposite end wall 62 spaced away from theend 58 substantially the length of the container 20. The side walls 64and 66 of the bin 60 are likewise spaced substantially the same as theside walls 68 and 70 of the inverted container 20. Both the container 20and the bin 60 have flaring side and end Walls with their rims beingsubstantially the same in perimeter.

According to my invention, the notch 52 when engaging the pin 54 forms aremovable pivotal connection between the grid 28 and the container 20with the receiving bin which when engaged generally prevents movement tothe left. The upper portion of the side walls of the receiving bin 60 isprovided with a series of notches 72, each of which has a substantiallyvertical wall 74 on the side nearest the pin 54 and the sloping camsurface 76 extending at an angle of about 45 or more .on the side awayfrom the pin 54.

Each of the transverse walls 32 is provided with a pair of oppositelyprojecting ends 78 which overlie and extend into the space between therim 22 of the container 20 and the notches 72 in the side walls of thereceiving bin 60. The transverse leaf springs 44 and 46 urge thelongitudinal wall 30 toward the adjacentportion of the container 20 soas to apply force to the curled edge 40 to tilt the transverse walls 32to the position shown in FIGURE 1 by the squeezing action providedbetween the edges of the notches 36 and the adjacent surfaces of thecontainer 20 to the adjacent edge portions of the transverse walls 32.

The container 20 is in its normal upright position and the transversewalls 32 are in the inclined position when it is filled with the liquidto be congealed. Such a liquid may be those in which the principalingredient is water, milk, cream, starch, fruit juices, gelatin orconfection mixes. After filling, the container 20 is placed in thecooling or freezing compartment of a refrigerator for the congealing ofthe liquid. After the liquid is congealed the container 20 is placed inthe inclined position and inverted to place it into the dot and dashposition illustrated in FIGURE 1 with the notch 52 engaging thetransverse pin 54. The container 20 is then pressed down until theprojecting ends 78 of the transverse walls 32 consecutively engage theseparate cam surfaces 76 beginning with the cam surface 76 nearest thepin 54. The engagement of each pair of projecting ends 78 with eachpair. of opposite cam surfaces 76 causes the consecutive tilting .ofeach of the transverse walls 32 toward the projection 50 beginning withthe transverse wall 32 nearest the projection 50. This ejects thecongealed pellets or blocks 82 consecutively from the compartment of thegrid 28 for their direct deposit into the receiving bin 60. Theprojections 78 are preferably curled toward the projection 50 to providea smooth camming engagement with the cooperating cam surfaces 76 so asto minimize any friction between them.

The container 20 as well as the grid 28 and the bin 60 may be made ofany suitable metal or plastic such as anodized aluminum or polyethyleneor nylon or polypropylene or polytetrafluoroethylene or in layersthereof and may be provided with a patterned and coated surface such asis illustrated in Patent 3,003,008 issued May 8, 1962, on any or allparts.

While the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed constitute apreferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might beadopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In the combination of a receiving bin and a congealing containeradapted to be placed in an inverted position over the receiving bin,said container being provided with a tiltable partition wall forpartitioning the liquid to be congealed therein, wherein the improvementcomprises the provision of an upwardly facing cam surface on thereceiving bin and enterengaging guide means for controlling and guidingthe downward movement of said container relative to said bin to guidethe downward movement of said tiltable wall into camming engagement withsaid upwardly facing cam surface to tilt said tiltable wall relative tosaid container for ejecting congealed liquid therefrom directly into thebin.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the container isprovided with a plurality of partition walls and the receiving bin isprovided with a separate upwardly facing cam surface for individualcamming engagement by each of said tiltable walls. v

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the container isprovided with a plurality of partition walls and the receiving bin isprovided with a set of cam surfaces in the path of movement of eachpartition wall for individual camming engagement by the opposite ends ofeach of said tiltable partition walls.

4. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein the container has sidewalls and is provided with a plurality of partition walls havingprojecting portions substantially aligned with the side walls of saidcontainer and the receiving bin has notches on its opposite sidesprovided with a set of upwardly facing cam surfaces aligned with saidprojecting portions for individual camming engagement by the.,projecting portions of eachof said tiltable partition walls.

5. In the combination of a receiving bin anda congealing containeradapted to be placed in an inverted position over the receiving bin,said container having a longitudinal wall substantially fixed thereinand a tiltable partition wall extending transversely to the longitudinalwall for partitioning the liquid to be congealed within said container,said container and longitudinal wall constituting fixed parts, whereinthe improvement comprises the provision of a cam surface on thereceiving bin, said bin and one of said fixed parts being provided witha disconnectable interengaging guide means for guiding and controllingth downward movement of said container relative to said bin to guide thedownward movement of said tiltable partition wall into cammingengagement with said cam surface to tilt said tiltable wall relative tosaid container for ejecting the congealed liquid therefrom directly intothe bin.

6. In the combination of a receiving bin and a congealing containeradapted to be pivoted to an inverted position over the receiving bin,said container having a longitudinal wall substantially fixed thereinand a plurality of tiltable partition walls extending transverselyrelative to said longitudinal wall for partitioning the liquid to becongealed within said container, said container and longitudinal wallconstituting fixed parts, wherein the improvement comprises theprovision of a plurality of camming surfaces on the receiving bin, saidbin and one of the fixed parts being provided with a removableinterengaging pivotal connection for pivoting said container and saidpartition walls into camming engagement with said cam surfaces to tiltsaid tiltable walls relative to said container for ejecting thecongealed liquid therefrom directly into the bin.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,923,139 2/1960 Sharpe 62-3442,931,194 4/1960 Sharpe 62-344 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. WAYNER, Assistant Examiner.

